Simple disposable absorbent article having breathable side barriers

ABSTRACT

A simple disposable absorbent article including an absorbent assembly attached to a chassis. The absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core that may contain superabsorbent particles, which may be contained inside pockets. The absorbent assembly is folded laterally inward at both of its side edges to form laterally opposing side flaps. Each side flap is attached to an interior surface of the absorbent assembly adjacent to its end edges. A longitudinally extending elastic gathering member is attached to each side flap adjacent to its proximal edge. When the article is worn, the elastic gathering members contract and raise the side flaps to form breathable side barriers. The chassis includes a water-impermeable sheet and may be extensible. The absorbent assembly may be attached in a cruciform pattern such that portions of the chassis that lie outside the attachment pattern are not restrained by attachment to the absorbent assembly and therefore remain extensible.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to disposable absorbent articles such asdisposable diapers and other articles intended for use on incontinentpersons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disposable absorbent articles are designed to absorb and contain bodilywaste in order to prevent soiling of the body and clothing of thewearer, as well as bedding or other objects with which the wearer comesinto contact.

As the usage of disposable absorbent articles has expanded, theircomplexity has increased with the incorporation of additional featuresserving to enhance their performance and appearance. The costs of thematerials and the costs of the manufacturing processes have alsoincreased in conjunction with the increase in complexity. As a result,the prices at which these articles are sold have risen to levels thatmany potential purchasers around the world cannot afford to pay. Thus, aneed exists for a simple disposable absorbent article.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a simple disposable absorbent articleincluding an absorbent assembly attached to a chassis. The absorbentassembly includes an absorbent core that may contain superabsorbentparticles, which may be contained inside pockets. The absorbent assemblyis folded laterally inward at both of its side edges to form laterallyopposing side flaps. Each side flap is attached to an interior surfaceof the absorbent assembly adjacent to its end edges. A longitudinallyextending elastic gathering member is attached to each side flapadjacent to its proximal edge. When the article is worn, the elasticgathering members contract and raise the side flaps to form breathableside barriers. The chassis includes a water-impermeable sheet and may beextensible. The absorbent assembly may be attached to the chassis in acruciform pattern such that portions of the chassis that lie outside theattachment pattern are not restrained by attachment to the absorbentassembly and therefore remain extensible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawing figures, like reference numerals identifylike elements, which may or may not be identical in the severalexemplary embodiments that are depicted. Some of the figures may havebeen simplified by the omission of selected elements for the purpose ofmore clearly showing other elements. Such omissions of elements in somefigures are not necessarily indicative of the presence or absence ofparticular elements in any of the exemplary embodiments, except as maybe explicitly delineated in the corresponding written description.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary disposable absorbent article inthe form of a diaper 20, which is shown in its flat, uncontracted state,i.e., without the contraction induced by elastic members. In FIG. 1, theinterior portion of the diaper 20 that faces inwardly toward the wearerand contacts the wearer is shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 1 in its flat,uncontracted state, with the exterior portion of the diaper 20 thatfaces outwardly away from the wearer shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are section views of the diaper 20 ofFIG. 1 and FIG. 2 taken at the respective section lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5,and 6-6. In these section views, the interior portion of the diaper 20that faces inwardly toward the wearer and contacts the wearer is shownfacing upward.

FIG. 7 is a simplified side elevation view of an exemplary diaper 20being worn about a lower torso of a wearer.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 7 being wornabout the lower torso of the wearer.

FIG. 9 is a back elevation view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 7 being wornabout the lower torso of the wearer.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an exemplary fragment of a formed webmaterial.

FIG. 11 is a simplified left side elevation view of an exemplary diaper20 including cohesive fastening patches being worn about a lower torsoof a wearer.

FIG. 12 is a simplified right side elevation view of the diaper 20 ofFIG. 11 including cohesive fastening patches being worn about the lowertorso of the wearer.

FIG. 13 is a simplified plan view of an exemplary disposable absorbentarticle in the form of a diaper 20, which is shown in its flat,uncontracted state, i.e., without the contraction induced by elasticmembers, having adhesive tape tabs 114 a and 114 b and a fasteningsurface 116 attached to the chassis. In FIG. 13, the interior portion ofthe diaper 20 that faces inwardly toward the wearer and contacts thewearer is shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 14 is a simplified plan view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 13 in itsflat, uncontracted state, with the exterior portion of the diaper 20that faces outwardly away from the wearer shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an exemplary diaper 20, which is shownin its relaxed, contracted state, i.e., with the contraction induced byelastic members. In FIG. 15, the interior portion of the diaper 20 thatfaces inwardly toward the wearer and contacts the wearer is shown facingupward.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200. In FIG.16, the absorbent assembly 200 is shown separately from a chassis 100 towhich it is attached in an exemplary diaper 20 and the interior portionof the absorbent assembly 200 that faces inwardly toward the wearer andcontacts the wearer is shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 17 is a section view of the absorbent assembly 200 of FIG. 16 takenat the section line 17-17.

FIG. 18 is a section view of the absorbent assembly 200 of FIG. 16 takenat the section line 18-18.

FIG. 19 is a section view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200 showingdetails of an exemplary absorbent core having particles ofsuperabsorbent material contained inside pockets

FIG. 20 is a section view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200 havingan additional bottom sheet 226. In FIG. 20, the section is taken at asection line corresponding to the section line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the following terms have the following meanings:

The term “absorbent article” refers to a device that absorbs andcontains liquid, and more specifically, refers to a device that isplaced against or in proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb andcontain the various exudates discharged from the body.

The term “diaper” refers to an absorbent article that is generally wornby infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso so as toencircle the waist and the legs of the wearer and that is specificallyadapted to receive and contain urinary and fecal waste.

The term “disposable” refers to the nature of absorbent articles thatgenerally are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored orreused as an absorbent article, i.e., they are intended to be discardedafter a single use and, preferably, to be recycled, composted orotherwise disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner.

The term “longitudinal” refers to a direction running from a waist edgeto an opposing waist edge of the article and generally parallel to themaximum linear dimension of the article. Directions within ±45° of thelongitudinal direction are considered to be “longitudinal”.

The term “lateral” refers to a direction running from a side edge to anopposing side edge of the article and generally at a right angle to thelongitudinal direction. Directions within +45° of the lateral directionare considered to be “lateral”.

The term “disposed” refers to an element being attached and positionedin a particular place or position in a unitary structure with otherelements.

The term “attached” refers to elements being connected or united byfastening, adhering, bonding, etc. by any method suitable for theelements being attached together and their constituent materials. Manysuitable methods for attaching elements together are well-known,including adhesive bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding,mechanical fastening, etc. Such attachment methods may be used to attachelements together over a particular area either continuously orintermittently.

The term “cohesive” refers to the property of a material that sticks toitself but does not to any significant degree stick to other materials.

The terms “water-permeable” and “water-impermeable” refer to thepenetrability of materials in the context of the intended usage ofdisposable absorbent articles. Specifically, the term “water-permeable”refers to a layer or a layered structure having pores, openings, and/orinterconnected void spaces that permit liquid water to pass through itsthickness in the absence of a forcing pressure. Conversely, the term“water-impermeable” refers to a layer or a layered structure through thethickness of which liquid water cannot pass in the absence of a forcingpressure. A layer or a layered structure that is water-impermeableaccording to this definition may be permeable to water vapor, i.e., maybe “water vapor-permeable”. Such a water vapor-permeable layer orlayered structure is commonly known in the art as “breathable”. As iswell known in the art, a common method for measuring the permeability towater of the materials typically used in absorbent articles is ahydrostatic pressure test, also called a hydrostatic head test or simplya “hydrohead” test. Suitable well known compendial methods for hydroheadtesting are approved by INDA (formerly the International Nonwovens andDisposables Association, now The Association of the Nonwoven FabricsIndustry) and EDANA (European Disposables And Nonwovens Association).

The terms “proximal” and “distal” refer respectively to the location ofan element relatively near to or far from the center of a structure,e.g., the proximal edge of a longitudinally extending element is locatednearer to the longitudinal axis than the distal edge of the same elementis located relative to the same longitudinal axis.

The terms “interior” and “exterior” refer respectively to the locationof an element that is intended to be placed against or toward the bodyof a wearer when an absorbent article is worn and the location of anelement that is intended to be placed against or toward any clothingthat is worn over the absorbent article. Synonyms for “interior” and“exterior” include, respectively, “inner” and “outer”, as well as“inside” and “outside”. Also, when the absorbent article is orientedsuch that its interior faces upward, e.g., when it is laid out inpreparation for setting the wearer on top of it, synonyms include“upper” and “lower” and “top” and “bottom”, respectively.

Description of Exemplary Diaper Embodiments

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, one endportion of the exemplary diaper 20 is configured as a front waist region36, the longitudinally opposing end portion is configured as a backwaist region 38, and an intermediate portion is configured as a crotchregion 37.

The basic structure of the diaper 20 includes a chassis 100, which has afront waist edge 136, a back waist edge 138, a left side edge 137 a, anda right side edge 137 b, an interior surface 102, and an exteriorsurface 104. A longitudinal axis 42 extends through the midpoints of thefront waist edge 136 and the back waist edge 138 and a lateral axis 44extends through the midpoints of the left side edge 137 a and the rightside edge 137 b.

The basic structure of the diaper 20 also includes an absorbent assembly200, which has a front edge 236, a back edge 238, a left side edge 237a, a right side edge 237 b, an interior surface 202, and an exteriorsurface 204. The absorbent assembly 200 may be disposed symmetrically orasymmetrically with respect to either or both of the longitudinal andthe lateral axes. For example, the absorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG.1 is disposed symmetrically with respect to both the longitudinal axis42 and the lateral axis 44. The absorbent assembly 200 has laterallyopposing side flaps 247 a and 247 b that are described in more detailbelow.

As shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9, when the diaper 20 is worn onthe lower torso of a wearer, the front waist edge 136 and the back waistedge 138 encircle the waist of the wearer, the chassis side edges 137 aand 137 b encircle the legs of the wearer, the crotch region 37 isgenerally positioned between the legs of the wearer, and the absorbentassembly 200 extends from the front waist region 36 through the crotchregion 37 to the back waist region 38.

Description of the Chassis

The chassis 100 includes a water-impermeable backsheet 26 that is formedof a suitable material, for example a film of polyethylene or anotherpolyolefin, or a film formed of coextruded polyolefin layers. Forexample, a suitable coextruded film is available from Clopay PlasticProducts Co. of Mason, Ohio, U.S.A. under the designation of M18-327. Amulti-layer backsheet, such as a laminate of a film and a nonwoven, mayalso be suitable and may be oriented with the nonwoven disposedexteriorly to provide the feel and appearance of a clot-like outermostlayer, with the nonwoven disposed interiorly to separate the film fromthe skin of the wearer, or with nonwovens disposed both exteriorly andinteriorly.

A portion or the whole of the chassis may be made extensible to a degreegreater than the inherent extensibility of the material or materialsfrom which the chassis is made. The additional extensibility may bedesirable in order to allow the chassis to conform to the body of awearer during movement by the wearer. In particular, additional lateralextensibility may be desirable to allow the user of a diaper to extendthe front waist region and/or the back waist region to encircle thewaist of a wearer, i.e., to tailor the waist size and fit of a diaper tothe individual wearer. Such a lateral extension of the waist region orregions may give the diaper a generally hourglass shape and may impart atailored appearance to the diaper when it is worn. In addition, theadditional extensibility may be desirable in order to minimize the costof the diaper, because a relatively lesser amount of material is neededwhen the material is made extensible as described.

Additional extensibility in the chassis may be provided in a variety ofways. For example, a material or materials from which the chassis ismade may be pleated by any of many known methods. Alternatively, all ora portion of the chassis may be made of a formed web material or aformed laminate of web materials like those described in U.S. Pat. No.5,518,801 issued on 21 May 1996 in the name of Chappell et al. Anexemplary fragment 300 of such a formed web material 305 is shown inFIG. 10. This formed web material 305 includes distinct laterallyextending regions 310 in which the original material has been altered byembossing or another method of deformation to create a pattern ofgenerally longitudinally oriented alternating ridges 312 and valleys314. The formed web material 305 also includes laterally extendingunaltered regions 316 located between the laterally extending alteredregions 310.

Such a formed web material 305 can be laterally extended beyond itsoriginal dimension with the application of relatively less force thanthat required to extend the same material to the same extent whenundeformed. In particular, the application of opposing divergent forcesdirected generally perpendicular to the ridges 312 and valleys 314extends such a formed web material along an axis between the opposingforces and generates a resistive contractive force, primarily in theunaltered regions 316. This resistive force is relatively smaller thanthe resistive force that is generated by the same material in itsunaltered form when extended to the same extent, at least up to anextension at which the ridges and valleys in the altered regions flattenand begin to contribute to the resistive force. Thus, such formed webmaterials exhibit an extensible behavior resembling that of traditionalelastic materials in the range of extensibility that is useful inabsorbent articles, but may be made of relatively less expensivematerials that are not inherently elastic and, thus, their use mayprovide an advantage in terms of the cost of manufacturing the absorbentarticles. In addition, different portions of the chassis may be formedto have different ranges of extensibility and/or to be extensible to agreater or lesser degree when subjected to a given level of opposingtensile forces, i.e., to be relatively more easily or less easilyextensible. Such differential extensibility may be desirable so that,for example, one or both of the waist regions may be laterally extendedrelatively farther or relatively more easily than the crotch region.

The front waist region and the back waist region can be fastenedtogether to encircle the waist and the legs of the wearer in many ways.For example, separate fastening devices such as safety pins, separatetapes, a separate tie strap or straps, and/or a separate belt can beused for this purpose. Alternatively or in addition, fastening elementscan be incorporated into the chassis to enable a user to apply thediaper to the body of the wearer without, or in conjunction with, anyseparate fastening devices. Many suitable types of such incorporatedfastening elements are well-known, including, for example, tapes,adhesives, adhesive tape tabs, ties, buttons, hooks, loops, snapfasteners, other forms of mechanical fasteners, cohesive patches, etc.Some suitable mechanical fasteners may be adapted to engage with anonwoven, e.g., a nonwoven layer of a laminate backsheet.

The fastening of the front waist region and the back waist regiontogether may be openable and refastenable to allow for the adjustment ofthe fit of the diaper on the wearer and for the inspection of theinterior of the diaper without fully removing it from the wearer.Alternatively, the fastening may be permanent, i.e., its opening mayrequire the destruction of a portion of the diaper, e.g., the tearing ofa portion of the chassis or the breaking of fused side seams.

Cohesive fastening patches may be formed by the application of acohesive material directly onto the chassis or onto a separate substratethat is in turn attached to the chassis. The cohesive material may beapplied in any of a variety of patterns, such as a continuous film,discrete dots, stripes, polygons, etc., and/or spaced and interconnectedgeometric elements describing a grid. Suitable synthetic cohesiveproducts are available from Andover Coated Products, Incorporated, ofSalisbury, Mass. U.S.A. and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,424issued on 5 Dec. 2000 in the name of Taylor. For example, as shown inFIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 6, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12, cohesive fasteningpatches 110 a and 110 b may be disposed on the exterior of the chassis100 in the front waist region 36 and functionally complementary cohesivefastening patches 120 a and 120 b may be disposed on the interior of thechassis 100 in the back waist region 38. When the diaper 20 is worn asshown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the cohesive fastening patches on theinterior overlap the cohesive fastening patches on the exterior and thecohesion of the overlapped cohesive fastening patches fastens the frontwaist region 36 and the back waist region 38 together at the sides ofthe diaper 20. The configuration shown in these figures is adapted forback-over-front fastening. Alternatively, the front cohesive fasteningpatches may be disposed on the interior of the chassis and the backcohesive fastening patches may be disposed on the exterior of thechassis in order to adapt the configuration for front-over-backfastening. Alternatively, the cohesive fastening patches may be disposedin a reversible configuration that is adapted to provide the user of thediaper with both options for fastening, i.e., either back-over-front orfront-over-back, according to personal preference. For example, cohesivefastening patches that are disposed on both the exterior and theinterior of the chassis may allow a back cohesive fastening patch tooverlap a front cohesive fastening patch or the front cohesive fasteningpatch to overlap the back cohesive fastening patch.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, laterally opposingadhesive tape tabs 114 a and 114 b may be attached to the chassis 100 ator adjacent to the side edges 137 a and 137 b of the diaper 20 and maybe used to fasten the back waist region 38 and the front waist region 36together. Suitable adhesive tapes are available from the 3M Corporationof St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A., under the designation of XMF99121, and fromthe Avery Dennison Corporation, Specialty Tape Division, Mentor, Ohio,U.S.A., under the designation of F4416. Optionally, a fastening sheet116 may be attached onto the exterior surface 104 of the chassis 100 asshown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. When a fastening sheet is provided, theadhesive tape tabs may be adhered to the fastening sheet to fasten theback waist region 38 and the front waist region 36 together. Thefastening sheet serves to distribute the tensile force transmitted byeach of the adhesive tape tabs over an area larger than the adhered areaof the adhesive tape tab and may, itself, bear a portion of the tensileforce and thereby relieve a portion of the force exerted on thebacksheet. Thus, the incorporation of such a fastening sheet may make itpossible to use a relatively inexpensive and relatively weak materialfor the backsheet. When the backsheet is extensible, it is preferablethat the fastening sheet be similarly extensible such that theunderlying extensible portion of the chassis is not restrained. Whenmechanical fasteners are used instead of adhesive tape tabs, a fasteningsheet can have a surface and/or elements that engage with the mechanicalfastener, e.g., loops with which hooks may engage.

Description of the Absorbent Assembly

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, theabsorbent assembly 200 has left and right laterally opposing side flaps247 a and 247 b. The side flaps are formed by folding portions of theabsorbent assembly toward the longitudinal axis 42, to form both therespective side flaps 247 a and 247 b and the side edges 237 a and 237 bof the absorbent assembly 200. The side flaps may overlap the absorbentcore 250, i.e., the proximal edges 255 a and 255 b of the side flaps maylie laterally inward of the respective left side edge 257 a and rightside edge 257 b of the absorbent core 250. Alternatively, the side flapsmay not overlap the absorbent core. The side flaps are watervapor-permeable, i.e., breathable, at least in the crotch region 37where they form side barriers when the diaper is worn, as described indetail below.

Laterally opposing portions 107 a and 107 b of the chassis 100 in thecrotch region 37 may be folded laterally inward to overlap therespective side flaps 247 a and 247 b and may be attached to the sideflaps, for example, in the respective attachment zones 109 a and 109 b.Each of the folded laterally opposing portions 107 a and 107 b extendslaterally only a part of the way from the respective side edge 237 a or237 b of the absorbent assembly 200 toward the longitudinal axis 42,thus leaving uncovered respective exposed portions 207 a and 207 b ofthe side flaps.

In the exemplary diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent assembly 200extends the full length of the chassis 100 between the front waist edge136 and the back waist edge 138. Such a full length configuration may bedesirable in order to minimize the amount of waste material and thedifficulty associated with the manufacture of the diaper 20, especiallywhen the method used to manufacture the diaper 20 requires theintroduction of the material or materials for the absorbent assembly 200in the form of a continuous web or multiple continuous webs. Also, sucha full length configuration may be desirable in order to isolate theskin of the wearer from the backsheet. Alternatively, the absorbentassembly 200 may be shorter and extend less than the full length of thechassis. Such a shorter configuration may be desirable in order tominimize the total amount of material used and the cost of the diaper20.

Each of the side flaps 247 a and 247 b is attached to the interiorsurface 202 of the absorbent assembly 200 in attachment zones located ator adjacent to the front edge 236 and the back edge 238. For example, inthe absorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG. 1, the left side flap 247 a isattached to the interior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly 200 inattachment zones 251 a and 251 c, while the right side flap 247 b isattached to the interior surface 202 in attachment zones 251 b and 251d. The attachment zones may have equal areas or may be unequal in area.Between the attachment zones, the proximal edges 255 a and 255 b of theside flaps 247 a and 247 b remain free, i.e., are not attached to theinterior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly 200.

Also between the attachment zones, each side flap preferably includes alongitudinally extensible flap elastic member that is attached adjacentto the proximal edge of the side flap. For example, in the exemplaryabsorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG. 1, elastic strands 267 a and 267 bare attached adjacent to the respective proximal edge 255 a and 255 b ofthe side flaps. The flap elastic member may be enclosed inside foldedhems, such as the hems 271 a and 271 b shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.Alternatively, the flap elastic member may be sandwiched between twolayers of the absorbent assembly or may be attached on a surface of theabsorbent assembly and remain exposed.

When stretched, the flap elastic members allow the proximal edges of theside flaps to extend to the flat uncontracted length of the absorbentassembly, as shown in FIG. 1. When allowed to relax, the flap elasticmembers contract to gather the portions of the proximal edges alongwhich the flap elastic members are attached. For example, when theexemplary diaper 20 is in a relaxed condition as shown in FIG. 15, theelastic strands 267 a and 267 b contract to gather the proximal edges255 a and 255 b of the side flaps 247 a and 247 b. The contractiveforces of the elastic strands pull the front waist region 36 and theback waist region 38 toward each other and thereby bend the absorbentassembly 200 and the entire diaper 20 into a “U” shape in which theinterior of the “U” shape is formed by the interior portions of thediaper. Because the proximal edges remain free between the attachmentzones, the contractive forces of the elastic strands lift the proximaledges 255 a and 255 b and the exposed portions 207 a and 207 b of theside flaps away from the interior surface 202 of the absorbent assemblyand thereby raise the breathable side flaps into position to serve asside barriers. The lateral spacing of the lifted proximal edges isselected to allow the deposit of bodily wastes from the lower torso ofthe wearer into the space between the raised side flaps. The width ofeach of the side flaps 247 a and 247 b in effect becomes its height whenthe free portion of its proximal edge is lifted and the side flap israised. This height preferably is selected to allow the lifted proximaledges 255 a and 255 b to fit into the leg creases of the body of thewearer to form seals to help prevent the leakage of deposited bodilywaste out of the diaper.

The absorbent assembly may be attached to the chassis over any part orthe whole of the area of the absorbent assembly. Preferably, theabsorbent assembly is attached on its exterior surface to the chassis ina cruciform attachment pattern, i.e., in an attachment pattern thatforms or is arranged in a cross or “+” shape. The cruciform attachmentpattern may be contiguous, i.e., all of its portions may be touching orconnected throughout the pattern in an unbroken sequence, or may includedetached portions and thereby lack contiguity but still be arranged suchthat the shape of the overall pattern is a cruciform. An exemplarycontiguous cruciform attachment pattern 210 is shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 14,FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18. When an adhesive is used for theattachment, less may be necessary in a cruciform attachment pattern thanin a more extensive attachment pattern. In addition, the portions of thechassis that lie outside such a cruciform attachment pattern are notrestrained by attachment to the absorbent assembly and therefore remainextensible. In particular, a relatively narrow longitudinally extendingportion 212 of a cruciform attachment pattern 210 like that shown inFIG. 16 and FIG. 18 leaves the majority of the width of the chassis 100in the front waist region 36 and in the back waist region 38 freelyextensible and thereby allows extension of the chassis 100 in thelateral direction in these regions. A relatively wide laterallyextending portion 214 of a cruciform attachment pattern 210 like thatshown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 prevents the portion of the chassis 100 inthe crotch region 37 to which the absorbent assembly 200 is attachedfrom shifting relative to the absorbent assembly 200 in that region andthereby contributes to the effectiveness of the raised side flaps. Forexample, if the chassis in the crotch region 37 were free to shiftlaterally such that the left side edge 137 a and/or the right side edge137 b moved toward the longitudinal axis 42, the raised side flaps 247 aand 247 b might distort and fail to maintain contact with the body orbecome improperly positioned.

Within the extent of the cruciform attachment pattern, the absorbentassembly may be attached to the chassis continuously or intermittently.For example, a film of an adhesive may be applied continuously over theentire area of the cruciform attachment pattern and then used tocontinuously attach the absorbent assembly to the chassis. As analternative example, an adhesive may be applied discontinuously at andinside the boundaries of the cruciform attachment pattern, such as inthe form of dots, stripes, beads, spirals, etc., and then used to attachthe absorbent assembly to the chassis.

As shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18, the absorbent assembly 200includes an absorbent core 250 that serves to absorb and retain liquidbodily waste materials. The absorbent core 250 has a front edge 256, aback edge 258, a left side edge 257 a, a right side edge 257 b, aninterior surface 252, and an exterior surface 254.

The absorbent core 250 includes a storage component 272 that serves toabsorb and retain liquid bodily waste materials. Suitable knownmaterials for the absorbent core storage component include cellulosefibers in the form of comminuted wood pulp, which is commonly known as“airfelt”, layers or sheets of a natural or synthetic fibrous materialor materials, a superabsorbent polymer or polymers, etc. These absorbentmaterials may be used separately or in combination. Many known absorbentmaterials may be used in a discrete form, i.e., in the form of fibers,granules, particles, and the like. Such a discrete form of an absorbentmaterial may be immobilized by an adhesive that attaches the discretepieces together to form a coherent layer or that attaches the discretepieces to a substrate layer or that attaches the discrete pieces both toeach other and to the substrate layer.

The absorbent core may include an acquisition component in addition toone or more storage components. The absorbent core acquisition componentserves to acquire deposited liquid bodily waste material and transfer itto the absorbent core storage component. Any porous absorbent materialwhich will imbibe and partition liquid bodily waste material to thestorage component or components may be used to form the acquisitioncomponent. Preferred materials for the acquisition component includesynthetic fiber materials, open celled polymeric foam materials, fibrousnonwoven materials, cellulosic nonwoven materials, and variouscombination synthetic/cellulosic nonwoven materials. For example, theacquisition component may be formed of a nonwoven web or webs ofsynthetic fibers including polyester, polypropylene, and/orpolyethylene, natural fibers including cotton and/or cellulose, blendsof such fibers, or any equivalent materials or combinations ofmaterials. Examples of such acquisition materials are more fullydescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,264 issued to Osborn on Aug. 21, 1990.High loft nonwoven acquisition materials suitable for the acquisitioncomponent of the present invention can be obtained from Polymer Group,Inc., (PGI), 450 N.E. Blvd, Landisville, N.J. 08326, U.S.A., under thematerial code designation of 98920.

Such an absorbent core acquisition component 290 is shown overlying theabsorbent core storage component 272 in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18. Aseparation sheet 292 of, e.g., a tissue or a nonwoven material, may bedisposed between the absorbent core storage component 272 and theabsorbent core acquisition component 290 to help ensure that none of thegel formed by a superabsorbent polymer reaches the skin of the wearer.This separation sheet may extend laterally beyond the side edges of theabsorbent core and the upper covering sheet may be attached to theseparation sheet, which in turn may be attached to the lower coveringsheet, rather than the upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheetbeing attached directly to each other. In this arrangement, the liquidbodily waste materials that is deposited onto the upper covering sheet24 will pass through the thickness of the upper covering sheet 24 to beabsorbed by the absorbent core acquisition component 290, and some orall of it may then pass through the thickness of the separation sheet292 and then be absorbed and retained by the absorbent core storagecomponent 272.

The absorbent assembly 200 may include an upper covering sheet that isdisposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the interior surface 252 ofthe absorbent core 250 and/or a lower covering sheet that is disposed ina face-to-face arrangement with the exterior surface 254 of theabsorbent core 250 and the interior surface 102 of the chassis 100. Ifboth are present, such an upper covering sheet and lower covering sheetmay be attached together to contain the absorbent core 250 between themand thereby form the absorbent assembly 200. For example, in theexemplary absorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18,an upper covering sheet 24 and a lower covering sheet 25 are attachedtogether at or adjacent to the side edges 237 a and 237 b of theabsorbent assembly 200 in attachment zones 29 a and 29 b. Both the uppercovering sheet and the lower covering sheet are water vapor-permeable,i.e., breathable.

The upper covering sheet is water-permeable and allows liquid bodilywaste to pass through its thickness to the absorbent core. The uppercovering sheet preferably is formed of a soft material that will notirritate the skin of the wearer, for example a synthetic nonwoven suchas spunbonded or carded polypropylene, polyester, or rayon. The lowercovering sheet is water-impermeable. The lower covering sheet may beformed of any suitable material that is formed or treated to bebreathable, for example the same material as the backsheet, apolyolefinic film, a microporous breathable film, or a hydrophobicnonwoven.

The upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet may extend to thesame width and the same length. Alternatively, one or more of the edgesof one of the covering sheets may lie distally relative to therespective edge or edges of the other covering sheet. For example, theupper covering sheet may extend longitudinally only to an extentsufficient to cover the absorbent core and to be attached to the lowercovering sheet adjacent to either the front or the back edge of theabsorbent core, while the lower covering sheet may extend longitudinallybeyond the upper covering sheet toward or to the adjacent waist edge ofthe chassis. Such a longitudinally extended lower covering sheet mayserve to isolate the skin of the wearer from a portion of the backsheetas may be desirable, for example, when the diaper is worn underconditions in which contact between the skin and a backsheet film couldbe uncomfortable. Similarly, the upper covering sheet may extendlaterally only to an extent sufficient to cover the absorbent core andto be attached to the lower covering sheet adjacent to either the leftor the right side edge of the absorbent core and the lower coveringsheet may extend laterally beyond the upper covering sheet. For example,in the exemplary absorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG. 16, FIG. 17, andFIG. 18, the upper covering sheet 24 extends laterally only a relativelysmall distance beyond the side edges 257 a and 257 b of the absorbentcore 250 and is attached to the lower covering sheet 25 in this area.The lower covering sheet 25 in this exemplary absorbent assembly extendslaterally beyond the upper covering sheet 24 and is folded to form theside flaps 247 a and 247 b.

As shown in FIG. 19, in some exemplary embodiments, an absorbent corestorage component 272 may include the discrete form of an absorbentmaterial that is immobilized in pockets formed by a layer of athermoplastic material, such as a hot melt adhesive, that intermittentlycontacts and adheres to a substrate sheet, while diverging away from thesubstrate sheet at the pockets. Absorbent core components having suchstructures and being suitable for the storage of liquid bodily wastesare described in co-pending and commonly assigned European PatentApplications Nos. 03 002 678.5 and 03 002 677.7, both filed on 12 Feb.2003, and in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent applicationsSer. Nos. 10/776,839, published as U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2004/0167486 on 26 Aug. 2004, and 10/776,851, published as U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0162536 on 19 Aug. 2004, bothfiled with respective priority claims to the aforementioned EuropeanApplications. An exemplary absorbent core storage component 272 havingsuch a structure is shown in FIG. 19. In this absorbent core storagecomponent 272, particles 270 of a superabsorbent polymer are containedinside pockets 280 formed by a layer 275 of a thermoplastic material.The absorbent core storage component may include both particles of asuperabsorbent polymer and airfelt and both materials may be containedinside the pockets formed by the layer of the thermoplastic material.Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 19, an exemplary absorbent core storagecomponent may contain no airfelt and therefore the component can be maderelatively thinner and more flexible for the comfort of the wearer. Inaddition, the particles of the superabsorbent polymer can be immobilizedrelatively more easily in the absence of airfelt. As shown in FIG. 19,the layer 275 of the thermoplastic material intermittently contacts andadheres to a substrate sheet 274 at the areas of attachment 282. Betweenthe areas of attachment 282, the layer 275 diverges away from thesubstrate sheet 274 to form the pockets 280. The layer 275 may have theform of a sheet of fibers of the thermoplastic material through whichthe liquid bodily waste may pass to be absorbed by the particles 270 ofthe superabsorbent polymer.

In FIG. 19, a separate thermoplastic layer covering sheet 276 is shownoverlying the layer 275 of the thermoplastic material. Alternatively,the separate thermoplastic layer covering sheet 276 may be omitted. Asanother alternative, two absorbent core storage components each likethat shown in FIG. 19 except for the omission of the thermoplastic layercovering sheet 276 may be superposed with one absorbent core storagecomponent inverted such that the respective substrate sheets distallyoppose each other. In such a combination of absorbent core storagecomponents, either or both of the distally opposing substrate sheets mayserve respectively as either or both of an upper covering sheet and alower covering sheet for the absorbent assembly. Alternatively, theabsorbent assembly may include a separate lower covering sheet that isdisposed between the absorbent core and the interior surface of thechassis and/or a separate upper covering sheet that is disposedinteriorly of the absorbent core.

The absorbent assembly may include an additional bottom sheet of a filmor other water-impermeable material to enhance the protection againstleakage. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, an additional bottom sheet226 of a film or other water-impermeable material may be attached insidethe absorbent assembly between the lower covering sheet 25 and theabsorbent core 250. Alternatively, the bottom sheet may be attached tothe absorbent assembly exteriorly of the lower covering sheet. Thisbottom sheet may extend laterally less far than either or both of theleft side edge 237 a and the right side edge 237 b of the absorbentassembly 200, as shown in FIG. 20, or may extend laterally to overlapone or both of the side edges of the absorbent assembly.

The disclosures of all patents, patent applications and any patentswhich issue thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreignpatent applications, and all publications listed and/or referenced inthis description, are hereby incorporated herein by reference. It isexpressly not admitted that any of the documents or any combination ofthe documents incorporated herein by reference teaches or discloses thepresent invention.

While particular embodiments and/or individual features of the presentinvention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various other changes and modificationscan be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Further, it should be apparent that all combinations of suchembodiments and features are possible and can result in preferredexecutions of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intendedto cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope ofthis invention.

1. A disposable diaper having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions and comprising: an absorbent assembly having an interior surface and an exterior surface and laterally opposing longitudinally extending breathable side flaps, each side flap having longitudinally opposing ends and a longitudinally extending proximal edge, each side flap being attached adjacent to its ends to the interior surface of the absorbent assembly and having a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge such that when allowed to relax, the elastic gathering member contracts and lifts the proximal edge away from the interior surface of the absorbent assembly, thereby raising the side flap to form a breathable side barrier; and a chassis attached to the exterior surface of the absorbent assembly and having an interior surface and an exterior surface and including a water-impermeable backsheet, wherein at least a portion of the chassis is extensible and wherein laterally opposing portions of the chassis in the crotch region are folded laterally inward to overlap the respective side flaps and are attached to the respective side flaps.
 2. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the extensible portion of the chassis includes at least two distinct laterally extending embossed regions each containing a pattern of generally longitudinally oriented alternating ridges and valleys created by an embossment and also containing an unembossed region located between the embossed regions, such that the portion of the chassis can be laterally extended to a given extent with the application of relatively less force than that required to laterally extend the same portion of the chassis to the same given extent before the embossment.
 3. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the extensible portion of the chassis underlies the absorbent assembly in one of the waist regions and is laterally extensible.
 4. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the extensible portion of the chassis is disposed in one of the waist regions and is laterally extensible to a greater degree than at least a portion of the chassis in the crotch region.
 5. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the laterally opposing laterally inwardly folded portions of the chassis overlap the respective side flaps less far laterally inward than the respective proximal edges of the respective side flaps and thereby leave uncovered respective exposed portions of the respective side flaps adjacent to the proximal edges.
 6. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly is attached to the chassis in a cruciform pattern of attachment.
 7. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising cohesive fastening elements disposed on both an interior surface of the disposable diaper and an exterior surface of the disposable diaper such that the front waist region may be fastened over the back waist region or the back waist region may alternatively be fastened over the front waist region to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer.
 8. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly has a length smaller than a length of the chassis.
 9. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core and a water-impermeable lower covering sheet disposed exteriorly of the absorbent core.
 10. The disposable diaper of claim 9 wherein the absorbent assembly also includes a water-impermeable bottom sheet disposed between the lower covering sheet and the absorbent core.
 11. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core storage component.
 12. The disposable diaper of claim 11 wherein the absorbent core storage component contains no airfelt.
 13. The disposable diaper of claim 11 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core acquisition component.
 14. The disposable diaper of claim 13 wherein the absorbent core acquisition component has a length smaller than a length of the absorbent core storage component and is disposed longitudinally offset from the absorbent core storage component.
 15. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the chassis includes at least one fastening element adapted for fastening the front waist region and the back waist region together to encircle a waist and legs of a wearer.
 16. A disposable diaper having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions and comprising: an absorbent assembly having an interior surface and an exterior surface and laterally opposing longitudinally extending breathable side flaps, each side flap having longitudinally opposing ends and a longitudinally extending proximal edge, each side flap being attached adjacent to its ends to the interior surface of the absorbent assembly and having a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge such that when allowed to relax, the elastic gathering member contracts and lifts the proximal edge away from the interior surface of the absorbent assembly, thereby raising the side flap to form a breathable side barrier, wherein the absorbent assembly comprises an absorbent core storage component containing no airfelt; and a chassis attached to the exterior surface of the absorbent assembly and having an interior surface and an exterior surface and including a water-impermeable backsheet, wherein laterally opposing portions of the chassis in the crotch region are folded laterally inward to overlap the respective side flaps and are attached to the respective side flaps. 